2,436626332269222221210187155

Top States : Certified Organic Sales ($ million)CaliforniaWashington PennsylvaniaOregonWisconsinNew YorkTexasMichiganColoradoArizona 129

About this Survey

The 2015 Certified Organic Survey is a census of all farms and ranches with certified organic production. Certified organic farms must meet the standards set out by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s National Organic Program (NOP) and be certified compliant by an approved NOP agent. The 2015 data, as well as results of previous NASS organic surveys, are available in the NASS searchable database Quick Stats and as PDF publications.

The 2014 Organic Survey included farms exempt from certification and those transitioning to certification, but the 2014 data included in this Highlights are for certified farms only and therefore comparable to 2015 data.

United States Department of AgricultureNational Agricultural Statistics Service www.nass.usda.gov

NASS Highlights • No. 2016-8September 2016

Sales up 13 percent since 2014

In 2015, the United States had 12,818 certified organic farms producing and selling $6.2 billion in organic commodities. Only California and Wisconsin had more than 1,000 such farms; Washington, Iowa, and several northeastern states had more than 500. Except for Florida and Texas, states across the south had relatively few certified organic farms. (Fig. 1)

Fig. 1. Number of Certified Organic Farms, by State, 2015

< 5050 - 99100 - 499500 - 9991,000 +

Certified organic farms operated 4.4 million acres of certified land in 2015, up 20 percent from 2014. Slightly more than half the land (55 percent) was used to produce organic crops; the rest of the land was pasture and rangeland. About half of the certified acres were owned by those who operated the farm, the rest was land rented from others. Certified farms were transitioning 151,000 additional acres of land into organic production in 2015, primarily to grow crops.

Certified Organic SalesOrganic sales are more concentrated than organic farms. Ten states accounted for 78 percent of all certified organic sales, including crops, livestock, and livestock products. California, with $2.4 billion in sales, accounted for 40 percent of the total value of U.S. certified organic sales.

Of the $6.2 billion in organic commodities sold, $3.5 billion, or 57 percent, came from organic crops, $1.9 billion (31 percent) from organic livestock and poultry products (primarily milk and eggs), and $0.7 billion (12 percent) from organic livestock and poultry. (Table 1)

2015 CERTIFIED ORGANIC SURVEY

Farms, Land, and Sales Up

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Table 1. Certified Organic Sales by Product Type, 2014 and 2015($ billion and percent change)

2014 2015 % changeCrops 3.3 3.5 7Livestock and poultry products 1.5 1.9 27Livestock and poultry 0.7 0.7 13

Total 5.5 6.2 13

Milk and eggs were the top two commodities sold, valued at $1.2 billion and $0.7 billion, respectively, followed by broiler chickens valued at $0.4 billion. Two sectors – vegetables grown in the open and fruits, tree nuts, and berries – together accounted for 42 percent of sales. Among crops, apples, lettuce, and grapes were the top-selling commodities, with $302 million, $262 million, and $210 million in 2015 sales, respectively. (Table 2)

Table 2. Certified Organic Sales by Sector and Top Commodities, 2015 ($ million and percent change)

SectorTotal

Commodity Sales

% change, 2014 to

2015($ million)Livestock and poultry products 1,911 27Milk 1,174 8Eggs 732 74Vegetables in the open 1,362 9Lettuce 262 -1Spinach 154 32Tomatoes 87 29Carrots 83 20Broccoli 71 -10Sweet potatoes 71 4Fruits, tree nuts, and berries 1,203 17Apples 302 20Grapes 210 7Strawberries 151 70Blueberries 124 80Raspberries 46 230Livestock and poultry 743 13Broiler chickens 420 13Cattle 233 8Turkeys 70 41Field crops 660 -8Corn  for grain 129 -17Hay 117 -15Wheat 109 (D)Soybeans 63 -13Tobacco 50 NAMushrooms 96 -12Vegetables under protection 73 -4Other 115

Total 6,163 13

D = not disclosed to protect privacy of the producer. NA = not available.

Marketing Certified Organic ProductsNationally 71 percent of certified farms sold to wholesale markets, 36 percent sold directly to consumers, and 22 percent sold directly to retail markets and institutions. Farms may use just one or two of these sales options, or they may use all three.

States varied in how organic producers market and sell their goods. The percent of farms selling directly to consumers was highest in southeastern and northeastern states, and lowest in central states. In New England, the majority of certified farms sold at least part of their production directly to consumers, while in Nebraska and North Dakota, 10 percent or less did so. (Fig. 2)

Three fourths of certified farms sold some or all of their organic products within a 100-mile radius of the farm, with many eastern and southern states, along with Alaska and Hawaii, having the highest shares of such farms. (Fig. 3)

% of certified farmswith this type of sale

Within 100 miles of the farm 75100-499 miles from the farm 35500 or more miles from the farm 14Internationally 3

Fig. 2. Percent of Farms Selling Directly to Consumers, by State, 2015

< 2020 - 29.930 - 39.940 - 49.950 - 59.960 +

percent

Fig. 3. Percent of Farms Selling within 100 Miles, by State, 2015

< 5050 - 59.960 - 69.970 - 79.980 - 89.990 +

percent